Birth of the Rivals
by Scarletfall
Summary: After the clan's second failure to survive, WaveClan has finaly returned to stay. With no other clan to compete with for territory or prey, life seems pretty content for Rainstar and his determind rebuilt clan. But when a lonely apprentcie grows jealous of his littermates and the attention they recieve from the clan, he resorts to conspiracy. Has the clan neglected the wrong ego?
1. Chapter 1

Alliances

WaveClan

Leader: Rainstar- Cream tom with blue silver tail, muzzle, and patch on right

side. Yellow eyes.

Deputy: Duskfur- Black tom with brown patches on back and head, ringed

brown and blue tail, blue-grey streaks on flank. One pale

violet eye and one pale blue eye. Light gray front paw tips.

Medicine Cat: Beachwing- White tom with brown tabby stripes,

peachy patches on back and head, ringed peach

and blue tail. Blue eyes.

Apprentice, Driftpaw- Cream tom with brown tail and back, blue-silver muzzle, golden eyes.

Warriors: Nuthatchpelt- Dusky light gray tom with light brown legs, out-pointed ears, bushy tail, pale violet eyes.

Apprentice, Muddypaw

Gladeglow- Glowing white she-cat with black and gray patches,

golden eyes.

Apprentices, Silverpaw, Wildpaw

Meadowstalk- Cream she-cat with brown tail and black,

blue-silver muzzle, yellow eyes.

Ebonypuddle- Black tom with lighter paws and belly, deep aqua

eyes.

Queens: Fallendawn- Black she-cat with brown patches on back and head,

ringed brown and blue tail, blue-gray streaks on flank.

One pale violet eye and one pale blue eye, slightly

folded ears. (Mother to Mothkit- shining gray she-kit

with light brown patches on back and head, ringed tail

and slightly folded ears and pale violet eyes, Leafkit-

black she-kit with slightly folded ears and paler chest

and brown patches on back and head, pale violet

eyes, and Petalkit- Black she-kit with

brown patches on back, head and ears, ringed tail

paler chest and pale violet eyes, out-pointed ears.)

Cardinalshine- Ginger tabby with white chest, paws, and muzzle.

Pale violet eyes. (Mother to Copperkit-

Pale orange she-kit with darker ginger patch over

left side of face, white ringed tail, pale gray paw

tips. Pale violet eyes.)

Apprentices: Muddypaw- Cream tom with blue-silver tail, soot paws and

muzzle. Golden eyes.

Silverpaw- Silvery gray she cat with deep amber eyes.

Wildpaw- Fluffy dark gray tabby tom with yellow eyes and a stubby tail.

Scene 1

 _It's not fair that Meadowstalk gets to be a warrior before me!_ Thought Muddypaw. He had been and apprentice for just as long as his sister Meadowpaw- Meadowstalk after the ceremony he had just ran away from, his fur fuming. Rainstar must have been mouse-brained to not notice Muddypaw's hunting skills as well.

 _Meadowstalk just likes the attention of her clanmates mooning over her,_ Muddypaw thought bitterly. Was she really all that better than him? "It's just not fair!" Yowled the cream, brown, and blue-silver tom apprentice. His brother Driftpaw was too busy stuffing his nose in medicine beetles to realize just how terrible their sister truly was. And Beachwing had the nerve to snatch his brother away from understanding anything but stupid bugs and remedies!

Abnoxious yowling pulled Muddypaw from his thoughts. "Muddypaw! Oh thank StarClan it's you!" _Thank StarClan? For what? They're just a band of dead, powerless cats._

His mentor Nuthatchpelt continued from behind him, and Muddypaw flicked his ears in annoyance. "You know, we didn't know where you were going Mud-"

Duskfur, the deputy, interrupted the pale dusky gray and brown tom in his calm, medium-pitched mew, teeming with authority. "You should not have ran off like that during another cat's warrior ceremony, let alone your own sister's, Muddypaw. And was it really necessary to lash out at her like that?"

When Muddypaw simply glared back at the brown-draped black deputy, Duskfur angled his ears toward the camp through the few trees. He signaled with his tail for the other two cats to follow him. Muddypaw heard paw steps behind him, telling him that Nuthatchpelt was following.

Nuthatchpelt wouldn't understand how Muddypaw was feeling. He was loyal to his clan, but he forgot about nearly everything except for hunting. Muddypaw glanced behind him to see Nuthatchpelt standing still, gazing around as if he had forgotten where he was and where he was going. Muddypaw sniffed in disgust. That cat was as clueless as a flower. Instead of calling to the oblivious tom or telling Duskfur, Muddypaw simply kept trotting behind the deputy, who remained focused on the camp in the distance. Muddypaw's gaze was intent on his deputy's blue stripped back legs.

Feeling alone, Muddypaw tried to think of who he could trust. Wildpaw seemed to be friendly toward him, although he wasn't clan born. He was raised with Muddypaw and his littermates by his mother Gladeglow after he was found hungry and scared within their borders. The two cats had become close friends, playing together as kits and training together. The other new warrior, Ebonypuddle, who also wasn't clan born, seemed as if he could be swayed to agree with him. He was a messy cat, but Muddypaw would need a cat who would be willing to get their paws dirty. His mistake was choosing to be close to Meadowstalk.  
Muddypaw knew better than to expect his mother to side with him; he knew she would hear none of it. But the orange she-kit Copperkit showed potential. Maybe he could convince Duskfur to let him apprentice her when she reached six moons of age, if he himself became a warrior in time.  
Muddypaw still had faith in his father. He knew it was Duskfur who convinced him to make Meadowstalk a warrior early.

Pulled from his thoughts by the sped up paw steps of Nuthatchpelt and the towering Pine tree entrance to his camp, Muddypaw lowered his head as if in shame. He had to look sincere if he was to get cats on his side. He would make Meadowstalk pay, and his name would be known; even greater than his sister's.


	2. Chapter 2

Scene 2

Gladeglow let her gaze travel over the dens of her sleeping clanmates. Bringing a gray and black forepaw up to her tongue to rasp it, she found herself worrying about her son, Muddypaw. She knew he was upset about his sister receiving her warrior glory before him, but she never knew him to be aggressive. He didn't seem to like his brother much, but any queen would assume he was upset that he didn't get to train with his brother.

Gladeglow sighed, silently vowing to speak with her mate, Rainstar, and Cardinalshine, one of the nursery queens. She knew Cardinalshine to be as shy as herself, so she was sure the ginger tabby she-cat would understand.

Gladeglow shook her gray and black patched white head with the disappointment she felt in herself. She had no idea that her son was feeling so alone and helpless.


End file.
